Robin Hood Gardens: A Housing Ideal? An Investigation into Smithsons’ Smithsons’ idea idea of community and place
Muhammad Tayyab Faheem MA Architecture
Architecture and Built Environment MA ARCHITECTURE
ESSAY Critical Issue: AARC 706
Robin Hood Gardens: A Housing Ideal? An Investigation into Smithsons ’ idea of community and place
Tayyab Faheem W1451964 January, 2014
Course Leader: Davide Deriu
The importance of Robin Hood Gardens as a formative project in the history of architecture cannot be under-estimated. It is imperative that Robin Hood Gar dens is saved from a nonreversible fate. We should develop schemes for the future longevity of Robin Hood Gardens, and I would be among the first to lend my assistance to make sure that Robin Hood Gardens survives for our future generations. … Zaha
Hadid
It has heroic scale with beautiful human proportions and has a magical quality. It practically hugs the ground, yet it has also a majestic sense of scale, reminiscent of a Nash terrace. … Richard
Rogers
I believe Robin Hood Gardens to be the most significant building completed by my parents…. They were particularly proud of the complexity that arises from the disposition of different flat types, the massing, composition and proportion of the blocks. …Simon Smithson, son of Alison and Peter Smithson
Robin Hood Gardens is the only proper concrete manifestation of their concepts and is thus of extreme importance, not only historically speaking, but also for the present, as the concept conce pt of ‘design for the community’ still holds its fascination for architects and housing reformers. …Professor Stefan Muthesius, University of East
Anglia
Robin Hood Gardens is the most striking example of that period when architects struggled to humanize the organization of the high density social housing estate. …Peter St John, Caruso St John
Robin Hood Gardens is a highly significant example of post-war public housing and, signifies the progressive state of architectural design and public expectation at a time of change and social advance. Like Victorian architecture and Pre-Raphaelite paintings, which wer e laughed at for many years, it will come to be appreciated for what it is …Neil Jackson, Professor of Architecture at the Liverpool School
Quotes taken from the Twentieth Century Society (September2008)--http://www.c20society.org.uk/casework/robin(September2008)--http://www.c20society.org.uk/casework/robinhood-gardens/ Accessed Dec 2013
List of Content
Introduction
Chapter 1: Birth of a New Era: Post war Britain
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1.1: The festival of Britain
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1.2: The Smithsons + team X
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1.3: Independent Group, Soho House and the New Brutalism
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Chapter 2: Streets in the Air
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2.1: Golden Lane proposal
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2.2: Robin Hood Gardens: The Vision
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Chapter 3: What Went Went Wrong? Wrong?
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3.1: Problems after completion
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3.2: Demolition or Renovation
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Conclusion
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List of illustrations
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Bibliography
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Introduction: What is happening to Smithsons’ Robin Smithsons’ Robin Hood Gardens estate as part of Blackwall Reach regeneration scheme is happening countrywide as local authorities demolish council housing estates built as post war British architecture . It is not especially about Robin Hood garden scheme, Post war architecture has always been viewed in two different ways. Firstly there are those who support the demolition, who consider it as a “carbuncle” carbuncle”, blaming Robin Hood Gardens directly responsible for the crime and social decay that plagued life on the estate. They blamed its architecture for isolating residents, cre ating dead spaces for antisocial behavior to flourish, being inflexible and unable to adapt to modern living requirements. For these detractors, demolishing the estate would be an act of social justice, and a c hance to build a brighter future. Then there are others, less audible ones, who criticize the Council's decision to evict a thousand families before being able to re-house them, and to then leave perfec tly sound flats empty for years. "In the conte xt of the continual housing crisis in London, bringing the social estates down is a deliberate social crime that aims at clearing the area of its lowestincome inhabitants and paves the way for unbridled property speculation." (Sebregondi, 2011) Smithsons are often regarded as greatest post war British architects. Their writings and their work had a key role to establish a new style in architecture the in postwar Britain. At the same time they are criticized because of their over confidence and self-orientation. They have been often tagged as writers and theorist than successful architects because of less amount of their built work. But their works shows the tr ansformation and evolution of their thoughts and establishment of new style. In this essay t herefore, I will first investigate the situation of postwar Britain which transformed the whole society. Then the events like is “The festival of Britain” and their affiliation with different architecture and arts group. Through these studies will try to investigate the philosophical background of Robin Hood Garden design. Robin Hood Garden is the only example of built lar ge scale housing by Smithsons. The design of the state had a significant ideological background which they built in almost twenty years through their writing and publications. It is therefore m y aim to investigate the evolution of t heir design ideologies. What factors and events contributed towards their thinking and ideas abo ut housing? How did they implement their thoughts and philosophy? And regardless of their claim 1
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------of sense of place and neighborhood life what factors contributed towards the disregard for well thought and well-designed public spaces? And why did architecture historians and some architects consider it as an unsuccessful projec t?
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Chapter 1: Birth of a new Era: Post war Britain Before discussing anything about Robin Hood Gardens and Smithsons’ inclination towards modern architecture, it is necessary nece ssary to understand the circumstances and events that influenced not only the Smithsons but other architects too, towards their ideologies of architecture, especially their thinking towards housing estates. After the blitz and more specifically after Second World War Britain faced a huge task to rebuild the nation that was effected physically and physiologically (Fig 1). Almost for ten years architecture and construction remained stopped in London. During this time periods architects witnessed the impact of the war on society and it reflected in their work in later years. But it also pushed the society to show acceptance for new ideas in architecture. At that time the purpose was not only to build the architecture but with it how to form the society and bring it out of the depression and post traumatic effects of war. The difficulties of war wer e accompanied by the beginning of demolition, the return of evacuated families, and the changing trend of migration to the towns. And all of it meant that huge number of fam ilies and a few number of houses (Fig 2). On the o ther hand, despite the initial trauma of war the post war period became one of the most prosperous era of British history. For next three decades the economic growth changed the whole living standards of British nation. These prosperous years brought revolutionary shift in the expectations and aspirations towards social housing and the types of the estate that were being constructed. As Parker Morris wrote in his report, report, “An “An increasing proportion of people are coming to expect their home to do more than t han fulfil the basic requirement. It must be something of which t hey can be proud, and in which they must be able to express the fullness of their lives. There is, therefore an incre asingly prevalent atmosphere in which improvements in housing standards will be welcomed and indeed demanded, and in which stress will be laid upon quality rather than mere adequacy.” adequacy.” (Morris, (Morris, 1961) Eventually after war there was an ideal environment for architects, planners and councils to re think the mistakes of pre-war era er a with a totally new design ideology. And in 1951 the architects, engineers and other professionals got an opportunity to show the nation whole new vision of future, the festival of Britain.
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Figure 1: A Heinkel III bomber over the Thames, taken from another German bomber, 7th September 1940
Figure 2: Photo of Coventry, after the air rai d of 14 November 1940. People walk through the ruins of their city.
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1.1: The festival of Britain: The event which effected the most on the British trend of architecture after World War Two was the festival of Britain, held on south bank of Thames in summer of 1951 (Fig 3). The idea was not only to celebrate the nation's recovery after war but also to celebrate the one hundred years of British achievement and aim was to give meaning and intent to country’s rather simplistic simplistic policy. However, the festival gave rise to two different architectural thoughts. Many young people inspired by the example of festival to train as architects. Others consider it to be laughably narrow-minded approach and an example to be strongly rejec ted. Prompted the opposition against self-satisfaction attitude which the festival popularized. And the strongest of the voice came from the Alison and peter Smithson. The festival was to show the definition of being modern t o the public which wanted rehabilitation and security after the war. ”The South Bank was transformed completely and the design of the whole town was consistent in a way that was to eliminate class separation. L oadbearing brickwork, low-pitched roofs, wood-framed picture windows fitted with plate glass, Small-bore central heating and exotic indoor plants, the so-called Contemporary Style or that which was variously called People’s Detailing: People’s Detailing: all became the festival style” style”. (Frampton, 2011) Although, new structures were built on the site to house exhibitions exploring Britain's landscape and British character. Architecturally, the festival was c omplex of different architecture styles. The whole festival design tone was vaguely Swedish in its affinities, even the three prominent buildings on the Festival site the Royal Festival Hall, the Skylon and the Dome of Discovery had different origins (Fig 4).The focal point of the exhibition was the dome of discovery, designed by Ralph Tubbs. The Skylon was the vertical feature to act as a landmark for the festival. Only the Royal Festival Hall is still there, which is the best British civic monument of second half of the twentieth century but also had been under great controversies. The other two were also unique, but they had the reflection of Russian Constructivist legacy. Peter and Alison Smithson vociferously ridiculed the architectural idea associated with the festival. Characterizing themselves as a new generations, they rejected the works of their forebears, who had been promoting the historic style. They set out a manifesto for the future,
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------an architecture that rejected the historicism, an architecture for their own time. For them, experiments of the festival architecture wer e and escape from the real problem and opportunities of urbanization. This reaction against the architecture of the festival led them toward a way that would eventually know as “New Brutalism” Brutalism”. My point of this discussion is not to criticize the F estival. I just want to get and understanding that how this festival molded the Smithsons’ Smithsons ’ thought and ideologies of their work style. Apart from criticizing the festival structure, I think it’s important to understand the t ime staged and the effected people for whom it was put on. It helped the people to see their war-ravaged nation with a different perspective. It gave the British nation an experience of new thinking and new architecture style. It evoked the emotion of pride and exc itement and brought hope of a better future to come.
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Figure 3: The Dome of Discovery and the Skylon: Festival of Britain 1951
Figure 4: The Royal Festival Hall, Dome of Discovery and the Skylon: Festival of Britain 1951
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1.2: Team X and the Smithsons: S mithsons: At the 9th meeting of CIAM in 1953 the Smithsons formed a new group with known as Team X. The aim was to discuss and exchange ideas about planning and housing in order to give a new ideology other than Charter of Athens. Moving away from le Corbusier traditional teachings and utopian functionalism, towards sense of belonging and community interaction. Here they presented CIAM Grille along with their text ‘Urban ReRe -identification’ (Fig identification’ (Fig 5). Which prompt them to extend their research into a different way of looking at housing such as Golden lane Proposal and Robin Hood Gardens. Their understanding of complex relationship within various scales of urban habitation was hugely influenced by the photographs of Nigel Henderson which were mostly taken in Bethnal Green. On this meeting they made their first statement on their urban vision and this view is ev ident in their early unbuilt work. Their work repre sented a radical shift of emphasis in which importance was given to identity and human association rather than the functional organization which the Charter the Athens had presented. The Street-in-the-air reference was also used for the first time in this paper that dominated their proposals which the made for the housing projects. They re-identify the categories of Dwelling, work, recreation and circulation according to the level of perceived association: The house, The Street, The district and the city (Fig 6). The hierarchy was intended to create a better communal life, exactly opposite to the type o f community that le Corbusier’s recently completed unite de habitation in Marseille. Smithsons argued, “With increased “With increased density and ease of movement on all four levels, the social cohesion can only be achieved” achieved”. (Smithson, 1982) Their ideas of neighbourliness and community interaction became influential for post-war housing estates. And their social cohesion attitude was developed with the interaction with Nigel Henderson, who also supplied the images for their CIAM 1953 gr ille. These attitude and specially their proposal for Golden Lane, formed their ideas of new style which they implemented in Robin Hood Garden Scheme.
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Figure 5: The Grille: Re identification of the city into house, street, District and City
Figure 6: Hierarchy of Association: Urban Re-Identification, 1953
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1.3: Independent Group, Soho House and the New Brutalism In early early 1950’s the Smithsons also became associated with another group known as Independent Group. Where the relationship and association with Nigel Henderson and Reyner Banham significantly influenced their housing design philosophy (Fig 7). During the same time, in 1951 when they won the competition of secondary school in Hunstanton, seen as a classic example of modern architecture, which immediately label under the banner of New Brutalism. Although it was designed before their small house design in Soho, for whom Alison Smithson first time publically claimed the term New Brutalism. The Smithsons and other critics proclaimed the school design also as a New Brutalist design when it was first published. “Peter Smithson wrote: ‘It was decided to have no finishes finishes at all internally- the building to be a combination of shelter and environment. Bare concrete, brickwork and wood… our intention to have the structure exposed entirely” entirely” (Smithson, 1954). But it’s quite it’s quite not clear that why they t hey did so. The structure’s aesthetics are quite light weight and and influence of the Mies Van Der Rohe is so apparent. Even the use of the mater ial also do not conjure up the common image of t he Brutalist Architecture (Fig 8). Regardless of Hunstanton’s being Hunstanton’s being Brutalist or not, It was with Independent Group that the Smithsons coined the t erm New Brutalism, where, Reyner Banham became its greatest advocate. The idea to leave the material, services and structure left “as found” became the identity of New Brutalism. “They believed that in this state the spaces should be created to create the muchneeded ‘identity’ that society required. During the settings of photographs taken for the CIAM grille, Smithson had close insights into the social pattern and complex relationship in the community. There, they discovered their ‘as found aesthetics’” aesthetics’” (Alloway, (Alloway, 1990). The observation of role of the ‘neighbours’ and working with Nigel Henderson and his street sense, inspired them to their idea of association and community. Combine with the idea of neighbourliness, these all were the main force of Smithson’s concept of Streets decks in the air. They air. They envisaged that through the implementation of these ideas they could be able to create their vi ew of modern utopian community. Which they first applied to Golden Lane proposal and finally to their constructed housing, Robin Hood Gardens.
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Figure 7: The Original members of independent group. 1956
Figure 8: Hunstanton School building, Peter Smithson & Alison Smithson, 1949-1954
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Chapter 2: Streets in the Air 2.1: Golden Lane Proposal: For golden lane housing, the plan intended to bring toget her high densities of people in a way that created “an infinitely richer and more satisfactory way of living in cities. They emphasized social role of the street to design such a community. They tried to humanize the modern theory of tall buildings, saying that above six stories in any building, the sense of being on street disappeared. Building higher meant losing losing the connection with street street but also from neighborhood which creates the sense of alienation (Fig 9). It was the idea of street, not the physical one they felt to maintain in order to build a strong community. The street was sought to be a place not a corridor or balcony. Elevated decks thought to be social place having their own identity where neighbour could chat, children could play and r esidents could live (Fig 10). “Our aim is to create a try Street-in-the-air, Street-in-the-air, each ‘street’ having a large number of people dependent on it for access, and in addition some streets are to be thoroughfares t horoughfares— —that is, leading to places— places—so that they will each acquire special characteristics— characteristics —be identified in fact. Each part of each street-in-the-air street -in-the-air will have sufficient people accessed from it for it to become a social entity and be within reach of a much larger number at the same level” level”. (Smithson, 2001) Enhancing pedestrian circulation would create community and bring a kind of humanity back to some of the more bombastic and monumental CIAM modernist housing projects. Separating the pedestrian decks from typical ground street w as also the response to growing use of the automobile. Although the Golden Lane Project was much inspired by the Le Corbusier’s Unite d’Habitation and its internal street, the more m ore astonishing part of the Golden Lane Projec t was the de-emphasis of the building as a discreet unit of urban fabric, and instead the creation o f a network of continuous buildings arranged in sort of a cellular pattern. Such a network would respond to local needs and topography of sites, and would become as another layer of urbanism upon the existing city fabric. This unique organization, clustered and continuous continuous approach, was a rejection of the modernist grid and height. All units had the front doors at the deck level and main accommodation was above or below level. An essential thing was for the most of the
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------dwellings to have yard-garden. This was totally visible from the deck, bringing the normal house outdoor activities. “Where street is purely residential, the individual house and garden will provide the same lively pattern as a true st reet or square, nothing is lost and elevat ion is gained” gained” (Smithsons, 1970). The yard garden were to provide also an additional benefit and could be used as a workshop space. The work they presented at the CIAM IX was absolutely in their the ir mind during the design of the golden lane competition. The translation of CIAM grille into the Golden lane scheme was clear. The house is the family unit, The Street is the access deck, and the District are particular branches whilst the city is the overall composition. So the Smithsons were clearly successful to reach the goal that they set themselves. Reyner Banham, perhaps the strongest advocate of the golden lane, talks about it in his article The New Brutalism: “(Golden Lane) is notable for its determination to create visual image by non-formal means, emphasising visual circulation, identifiable units of habitation, and fully validating the presence of human beings as part of the total image— image—the perspective had photographs of people pasted on t he drawings, so that the human presence almost overwhelmed the architecture” architecture” (Banham, 1955) They did not win the competition, they wer e not even runner up. Chamberlin, Powel and Bon design entry won the competition. Even then the Smithson continued the publicity of their design on different forums and within architectural press. Eventually their design became one of the most highly influential design for other housing estates. But they waite d fifteen years before finally getting the chance to implement their ideas at Robin Hood Garden estate. Despite over fifteen years had passed, they remain firmly stick to their ideas and learnings.
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Figure 9: Photomontage of proposed decks on actual size. P.S, 1952
Figure 10: Photomontage of street deck at Golden Lane by PS, 1953
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2.2: Robin Hood Gardens: The Vision “Our intention has always been to turn architecture towards particularity… of space, person, and activity: activity: the form to raise from these” t hese” (Johnson, (Johnson, 1970) They conceived the estate consisting of two unconnected slab blocks, each running north-south along the busy roads. Both the blocks were almost twins in look and design, only difference was the height and length. The western slab was the longer of the two and was seven storeys high while the eastern slab was shorter but taller, at ten storeys in height. All the upper floors had duplex apartments whereas on the ground floor there were only single storey flats for e lderly tenants. In all, there were 214 flats designed for two to six people. Looking into the design of units, in both blocks, the bedrooms faced on to the inner/‘garden’ side in order to benefit from its calmness and peacefulness Protection” was “Protection” was
the theme behind the design of Robin Hood Gardens according to Peter
Smithson. To achieve a calm center, the pressures of the external world are held off by the buildings and outworks. “We felt under obligation to provide best possible quality irrespective of what people expect. We regarded it as a demonstration for more enjoyable living in the old industrial part of the city . In the late 40’s and early early 50’s when 50’s when we first start thinking about housing, the lack of identity and lack of any pattern of association was there, we use ‘Object as found’ as found’ as a design methodology” methodology” (Johnson, 1970). This is why their foremost general object ive was to knit around the surrounding by the insertion of new building. The site Blackwall Reach, was bounded north, east and west by busy roads, and to the south, by the Aspen W ay. In fact it was a large traffic island with landscape at the centre, around which residents live in two concrete blocks (Fig 11). The overall concept was both react ion against and informed by Le by Le Corbusier's Corbusier's Unite d'Habitation, in d'Habitation, in which traditional streetscapes should be swept aside to create new accommodation blocks sitting in parkland. The housing was a true repre sentation of the Smithsons' ideals of community, a place for social interaction with visual and physical interactive connections. Which they have been working and writing on since last two decades. Frequency of walking within neighborhoods was created with more unplanned interactions with neighbors,
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------which could in turn contribute to relationship formation and development. No doubt People who perceived their neighborhood environment to be safe and interest ing have been shown to rate their sense of community more highly. They challenged the sense of confinement and tried to create a better living environment by accepting the limitations of this site. They opted for the former solution. In doing so, they were able in creating a genuinely peaceful green space in the center of a heavily noised and traffic loaded urban context. This area of green mound was at the heart the whole project. They wanted to create an oasis of calm to the extent that the both sides residential blocks were conceived to act as sound barriers against the traffic noise from Cotton Street and the Blackwall Tunnel approach. The site planning was considered the result of an expanded “As Found” Found” approach, a careful understanding of existing patterns, connecting road, the fe w remaining shops in neighbourhood. Also response to the existing surrounding features of the site such as the East India Dock basin, the church of All Saints, views towards Thames River and the old power plant on the south bank. The As Found idea of ‘picking ‘ picking up, turning over and putting with…’ literally giving back in the way they re-used the leftovers of the demolished buildings for the creation of two concrete blocks in the central green space of the estate. Re-using the old, the leftovers, revitalising the existing and abandoned, it runs like a thread through the Smithsons’ work and thinking. “It “It is polemically there in the various early competition schemes for Golden Lane, Coventry Cathedral and Sheffield University; with the projects for the Economist, their country escape in Upper Lawn and slightly later the dormitory building for St Hilda’s a much more conscious approach seems to have set in, working with ambiguities and reciprocities of the existing and the new rather than one of clear-cut opposition in a purist, modernist way” way ”. (Heuvel, 2012) Robin Hood Gardens was example of the Smithsons’ social intentions is integrated through the concept of “streets in the sky” (Fig sky” (Fig 12). Built with panels of pre-cast concrete, there are one and two story apartments in both buildings having the view towards the urban garden between them. One building had seven stories and other had ten, the idea was to bring southern light inwards. They used remnants from construction in order to make the center hill in the garden. The idea was to improve people’s peopl e’s lives through design, for this reason, the communal space for residents was the most essential place for them because in would serve more t han one purpose.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------As the psychologist D. McMillan said that “Feeling ties with a place and fellow residents has al so been linked to a range of community level outcomes that influence well-being including fear of crime and improved community problem coping skills” skills” (D. (D. McMillan, McMillan, 1986). Street was the place that Smithson felt outdated since the use of cars, street were no more a place being for a resident to identify with their environment. The design ideology they developed during the CIAM grille and after that were we re always described the importance of street for community life. So the Smithsons tried to mimic that street culture at upper levels. g. After every two floors there was a wide concrete balcony jutting off towards the center, overlooking the garden. The balconies are wide enough for multiple people to walk and for children to play. They were proposed by them as a new neighborhood street for these housing units, which provide residents with direct walking access to activities in order to give the community a str ong sense of identity. Because walkable environments also facilitate opportunities for residents to meet, interact and engage in their neighborhood, which can foster sense of community conversely. The estate was designed with transportation networks forming the main structure; connections and routes, both vehicular and pedestrian. pedestrian friendly environments help create a sense of community, “A feeling that members have of be longing and being important to each other and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met by the commitment to be together”. together”. (D. McMillan, 1986)
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Figure 11: Robin Hood Gardens Layout Plan. A.P Smithson: Building block organized along the edges of the site
Figure 12: Robin Hood Gardens: Street-in-the-Air
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Chapter 3: What Went Wrong? 3.1: Problems after completion When interviewed about the estate, Peter Smithson had this to say about the r esidents: "The week it opened, people would shit in t he lifts, which is an act of social aggression." (Golds, 2013) Only a year after Robin Hood Gardens was completed, in 1973, the American Americ an critic, Anthony Pangaro, visited the estate and was amazed to discover that it was alre ady attracting vandalism. ‘In the Robin Hood Gardens model, neither the streets streets nor the dwellings accommodate activities useful for supervision or socialisation. The wide access galleries are primarily circulation spaces and are only incidentally available in a neighbourhood exchange. The outdoor areas adjacent to the dwelling units miss their chance to serve as front porches or stoops because they allow no definition of private territory or any sense o f public ownership. ‘The dwelling units are all but disconnected from the “street” (imagine the difference if there were only a kitchen window on it, and a real stoop), and turn away from the link to the rest of the estate.’ estate.’ (Pangaro, 1973) The lifts were regularly vandalised. Pangaro’s Pangaro’s experience was informative as it oppose the general conception that that the estate’s estate’s decline was the consequence of long-term neglect, very poor maintenance. Rather, the problems were inherent from the very beginning. In particular Pangaro focused on the failure of street decks and their arrangement which were designed to give residents a sense of personal space and enclosure. The high level access street s were not forward thinking approach at Robin Hood Gardens, the surprise being that they continued with them despite the hard core evidence that witnessed in the preceding years about their failings. The American author Jane Jacobs, in her book, The Death and Life of Gr eat American Cities highlighted the social flaws associated with the thinking of the Smithsons. Although she did not directly talked about Robin Hood Gardens but her warnings got more support in the writings of Oscar Newman’s book Defensible Space. Oscar Newman highlighted how architectural and urban design can become catalyst for neg ative behavior, with the research making links between increased number of crime and high-rise developments. He concluded that, “Family disintegration and social instability, were no longer being regarded simply as characte ristic of low income groups but were now being correlated to particular building types." (Newman,
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1966). The book drew attention to ways in which design could encourage inhabitants themselves to enhance their own security He argued that a place occupied a large group of people, people do not feel sense of control and responsibility that generate antisocial behavior. Territoriality, Natural Surveillance, Image and Setting, were the four factors that according to Newman could create a defensible space. 'Defensible Space' concluded that antisocial circumstances were the result of residents largely feeling they had no control or responsibility in communal areas occupied by so many people. For my opinion that for some post-war housing estates, the antisocial behaviour and crime were not social factors, in fact they were closely tied to very poor design. And it was very hard to correct these design faults because so many of its features cannot be modified without demolishing the building or some of its parts specially in case of Robin Hood Gardens. As Charles Jencks also said “The
estate was particularly singled out as t he embodiment of the bankruptcy of the B rutalist
concrete dream in one of the most influential works of architectural criticism of the lateSeventies” Seventies”. (Jencks, 1991) In an interview to John McKean Peter Pete r Smithson said “We made a big mistake at Robin Hood,” Peter Smithson slowly said to me in 1977. “ First, one of the most easily enterable e nterable spaces is totally under-overlooked, and gets a terrific amount of vandalism. But the one big mistake, that I still don’t don’t know how to solve, is the notional street deck thing. One should be able to get from level to level almost without knowing, feeling you’ve got there. But you end up with fire st airs, which people pee in, you know.” (McKean, 2011). They always tried to defend their design and never admitted that the failure of t he state was because of design, they always blamed the social condition and people behaviour.
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3.2: Demolition or Renovation: Thirty-five years after its completion the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, was faced with stark options for its future. Both blocks were in poor condition, although the main concrete structure was still in good condition but there wer e significant defect in external envelop and roof coverings. The estate needed to be intensively intensively refurbished or it needed to to be demolished and new accommodation built on the site. Neither was a cheap option and neither could be done without moving residents out while their homes were either refurbished or entirely done away with. If the renovation option was nevertheless to be pursued then it was worth looking at w hat was being done at Sheffield’s Park Hill. The Hill. The renovation was possible because its architecture provided the flexible framework of a concrete grid with the capacity for changes in plans and location of services, lifts and stairs. In case of Robin Hood Gardens the modification of its façade in order to achieve that kind of transformation was more difficult but still not impossible. Even one of the most significant – significant – and and generally laudatory – laudatory – publications on the Smithsons’ work concluded that for all ‘the intellectual sophistication of the intentions,’ Robin Hood Gardens was in part ‘meretricious’ and ‘failed as a place of human habitation”. (Webster, habitation”. (Webster, 1997) In 2008 the English Heritage dec lined the listing of Robin Hood Gardens. This decision ignited a quick and resolute response from their admirers. Number of architects started a campaigned against this decision including their son and the leading architects as Zaha Hadid and Richard Rogers. Lord Rogers bravely claimed that the Smithsons ‘were two of the greatest architects of the second half of the twentieth century’ and Robin Hood Gardens Gardens was as good, If not better, than any other modern building in Britain. The New proposal has been approved for construction and many architects believe that it is not only of far less architectural significance but also stand the possibility of being of a far poorer quality (Fig 13). In support of Robin Hood Garden, the Twentieth Century Society chairman Alan Powers wrote, “It has been stated that the idea was no longer a new one at the time of o f design and construction of Robin Hood Gardens, and that it was not effective in its purpose. This is a narrow view of the matter. The single issue of street decks should be seen in the context o f the Smithsons’ wider concern with pedestrian circulation over a longer period, starting with their competition scheme for Golden Lane Flats in 1952” (Croft, 1952” (Croft, 2008) 21
Robin Hood Gardens: A Housing Ideal?
An Investigation into Smithson’s idea o f community and place
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------However, a number of arguments were raised by those wanting Robin Hood Gardens’ listing, ranging from the claims that it was innovative and its street decks important to more general statements that it deserved protection protect ion by dint of being the product of an important architectural practice. And because Alison Smithson, the co -architect was a woman meant that special consideration should be given to preserving her output. And despite all of the problems and faults, it represents an intellectual and ideological importance and exemplifies the realisation of an idea into reality which is a rare architectural ability.
Figure 13: Redevelopment proposal of Robin Hood Gardenhttp://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housing-land/land-assets/blackwall-reach
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Robin Hood Gardens: A Housing Ideal?
An Investigation into Smithson’s idea o f community and place
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Conclusions: In the 1960s, local authorities looked at Victorian terraces in east London and declare d them slums. They terraces had become architecturally unfashionable and socially dead and they needed to be demolished because they didn't cre ate an environment where people could live happily. It was decided that they had to be demolished and replaced. After 30 years o f the completion of that replacement is has been said again that these are socially dead, can’t give people proper social life and it needs t o be replaced. Same had been said about Trellick Tower and Park Hill Estate and these we re also once under huge criticism but now after the refurbishment and listing they are hugely desirable places to live. From the beginning, Robin Hood Gardens has been at t he center of a de bate concerning its success. Initially, structural issues raised the cost of the building. Once lived in, critics blamed crime within the buildings on their design, but there have been many issues contributing to the less than ideal conditions of Robin Hood Gardens today. A serious denial in upkeep has made the apartments less desirable places to live, and developers are eager to demolish the buildings in order to expand their own v isions of the future. Whether the ideology of the Smithsons has or has not been fulfilled, is a never ending debate. Surely, Their concept of building a community and bring people together was not just an idea but it was the need of the time. The building was vandalized and neglected by its unhappy residents. The deprivation of the people who lived in them was another fact too. But it is quite clear that both the Smithsons and the residents were responsible of the failure of this housing ideal. No doubt the building fabric is reflection of historic movement, a bold and controversial style. It was an example of welfare we lfare state, an attempt of post-war urban re-identification. Robin Hood Gardens embodies Alison and Peter Smithson’ Smithson ’s vision for a new form of social housing. With both successes and failures within its concrete walls, the ir radical vision will always exist within Robin Hood Gardens. It is a physical representation of ideas that started from Team X and ‘the parallel of life and art’ and translated into a concept which first implemented on golden Lane proposal and finally came into reality in the form of Robin Hood Gardens. It is an undeniably important piece of Great Britain’s architect ural history and a
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Robin Hood Gardens: A Housing Ideal?
An Investigation into Smithson’s idea o f community and place
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------monument of British modernism which encompasses the wealth of all these ideas. Robin Hood Gardens is unparalleled example of New Brutalist architecture , even when viewing it adjacent to Balforn tower. Both the building represent the ideology of their own architects and offer ver y different stance on the post-war arc hitecture and looks incomplete without each other. Although it is currently in a poor condition but demolishing the estate and building it from scratch is not the best option, especially in current era of economic and energy crises when a viable option of refurbishment exist and many leading architects are in favor of this too. With current ideologies of more environmental and sustainable approaches to development, the council should also think away to build the housing from scratch and think to use the existing structure in an innovative way. While Trellick tower, Balforn tower, Park hill Estate and many other building of the same era have been listed, Robin Hood Garden also deserves t he same respect. Legacy of o f the Smithsons, financial and environmental benefits, historic significance, and the majority of residents who are in favor of its refurbishment are the argument in its favor of conservation. co nservation. The Demolition is not started yet, and an opportunity of prese rving it still exists as the decision in 2009 w as to consider it for listing for next 5 years. There is still time and opportunity to come up with a more constructive approach rather than demolishing a national architectural heritage.
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Robin Hood Gardens: A Housing Ideal?
An Investigation into Smithson’s idea o f community and place
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List of illustrations: Figure 1: A Heinkel III bomber over the Thames, taken from another German bomber, 7th September 1940 ........................... ......................................... ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ......................4 ........4 Figure 2: Photo of Coventry, after the air raid of 14 November 1940. People walk through the ruins of their city............................ ......................................... ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................. ............................. ..............4 4 Figure 3: The Do me of Discovery and the Skylon: Festival of Britain 1951 ........................... ......................................... ..........................7 ............7 Figure 4: The Royal Festival H all, Dome of Discovery and the Skylon: Festival of Britain 1951 ......................7 ......................7 Figure 5: The G rille: Re identification of the city into house, street, District and City .......................... ....................................9 ..........9 Figure 6: Hierarchy of Association: Urban Re-Identification, 1 953 .................................. ................................................ ............................ .................9 ...9 Figure 7: The Original members of independent group. 1956 .................................... .................................................. ............................. ....................11 .....11 Figure 8: Hunstanton School building, Peter Smithson & Alison Smithson, 1949-1954 ............................ ...............................11 ...11 Figure 9: Photomontage of proposed decks on actual size. P.S, 1952 ..................................... ................................................... .....................14 .......14 Figure 10: Photomontage of street deck at Golden Lane b y PS, 1953 ............................. ............................................ ............................ ..............14 .14 Figure 11: Robin Hood Gardens Layout Plan. A.P Smithson: Building block organized along the edges of the site .......................... ........................................ ............................ ............................. ............................. ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ......................18 ........18 Figure 12: Robin Hood Gardens: Street-in-the-Air ...................................... .................................................... ............................. ............................. .....................18 .......18 Figure 13: Redevelopment proposal of Robin Hood Garden-http://www.london.gov.uk/prioritie Garden-http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housings/housingland/land-assets/blackwall-reach .......................... ........................................ ............................ ............................. ............................. ............................ ............................ .................22 ...22
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Atkinson, H., 2012. The Festival of Britain: A Land and Its People. London: I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd. Banham, R., 1955. The New Br utalism. Architectural Architectural Review, p. 359. Croft, C., 2008. Twentieh Century Society. [Online] Available at: http://www.c20society.org.uk/casework/robin-hood-gardens http://www.c20society.org.uk/casework/robin-hood-gardens// [Accessed 10 Dec 2013]. D. McMillan, D. C., 1986. Sense of community: a definition and t heory. Journal of Community Community Psychology, pp. 6-13.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sebregondi, F., 2011. The evnet of void. September. Smithson, A. M., 1982. The Emergence of Team 10 Out of C.I.A.M. London: Architectural Association, . Smithson, A. P., 2001. The Charged Void. s.l.:The Monaelli press, INC.. Smithson, P., 1954. Architectural Architectural Review, p. 274. Smithsons, 1970. Ordinariness & Light. London: Faber and Faber. Webster, H., 1997. Modernism without rhetoric. s.l.:Academy Editions.
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